The relativity of values causes us to use money irrationally. I go to the supermarket to buy a $15 pen, and the clerk smiles and says, “You can buy this pen for $7 if you walk 5 minutes from here.” Then, most people walk five minutes and buy a $15 pen for $7. But if you want to buy a $1,000 jacket and the clerk smiles and says, “You can get a $992 jacket in five minutes from here,” most people simply buy the $1,000 jacket. Reasonably, walking for 5 minutes equals the effort, and the profit of $8 is the same. However, people might go to a store that sells pens cheaper, but not for the jacket, because the discount rate is too low. In other words, the relativity of comparing values makes us act irrationally. The pen’s discount rate is 55%, and the jacket’s is only 0.8%. Yet, the total amount is the same for all $8, and the effort to gain that profit is identical. Attitudes and misconceptions about consumption influence how we build wealth. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
The phenomenon where an organization prioritizes self-interest over cooperation between departments is called the silo effect. A silo refers to a chimney-shaped grain storage warehouse, named for its high, stacked walls that isolate it from the outside. If someone controlled the opening by creating only one funnel-shaped outlet at the bottom of the storage room, they could monopolize the grain. This phenomenon often arises when there are ‘irreplaceable talented individuals’ in an organization, which presents a challenge for a boss desiring to develop such individuals. It undermines all the positive functions of the organization. Exceptional individuals organize their impressive performance so that the organization can sustain that performance even in their absence. Misusing talent can ruin a business. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”